Department of Biogeography

The department of Biogeography was founded in 1944 by Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Professor Vladimir N. Sukachev.
In different years the Department was headed by:
1946-1953 – Academician of RAS, Professor Vladimir N. Sukachev,
1953-1988 – Professor AnatolyG. Voronov,
1989-2004 –corresponding member of the RAS, Professor Dmitry A. Krivolutsky,
Since 2005, the department is headed by Doctor of Geographical Sciences, Professor Svetlana M. Malkhazova.

Career opportunities
Most of graduates are employed in the field of environmental conservation, namely, by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, The Ministry of health, different research institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and other state and commercial enterprises related to nature protection.
They work in the scientific institutes in the groups of Environmental Management and Nature Protection, in institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in Nature Reserves and National Parks studying biogeography, ecology, mapping of natural resources. Many graduates are employed in joint stock companies, firms and other organizations of all forms of ownership, in the higher and secondary educational institutions.

Main courses\Curriculum
Biology, Ecology with the fundamentals of biogeography, Biogeographic basis for nature conservation, Mathematical methods in biogeography, Methods of field studies, Diversity of organisms, Ecology of human, Biogeographical mapping, GIS in biogeography and ecology, Ecology of organisms, Biogeography of foreign countries, Biogeography of Russia, Bioindication and Biomonitoring, Geography of utilization of natural resources, Medical geography, Methods of biodiversity estimation, Molecular-genetic basis of biodiversity, System of nature protection areas, Actual problems of biogeography.

Research units
Educational and Research Division of the Department:
• Laboratory of biogeographical mapping studies geography of biodiversity and biogeographic methods in mapping;
• Laboratory of medical geography and bioindication provides medical-ecological assessment and monitoring of the environment, develops biogeographic approaches to nature conservation, and develops bioindication of the environmental changes.

Fields of Research: phytogeography, zoogeography, medical geography, biogeography of soil, floristic and faunistic biogeography, geography of ecosystems and ecological communities, study of ranges.
Main accomplished research:
The map "Biomes of Russia" (scale 1: 7 500 000) is in press. The text of the map is under comiling, which is an explanatory appendix to the the map "Biomes of Russia", including information on the current structure of the vegetation cover, environmental groups, animal populations, environmental objects in the territory indicating rare and endemic species of flora and fauna.
Typological diversity and patterns of spatial distribution of forests at the southern border of the boreal regions of Asia (Altai, Mongolia and China) is revealed and their cartographic analysis is carried out.
In the context of rapidly developing interdisciplinary field, the history of the environment (environmental history), the systematization of data on the animals of European Russia at the turn of XVIII-XIX centuries was compiled. The data contained in the materials of the land survey of the Russian Empire, and their analysis in comparison with the present situation are developed.
Medical atlas of Russian natural focal diseases is prepared for printing which brought together literature, archival, stock, medical and statistical data to create a complete picture of the spread of natural focal diseases the territory of modern Russia. Atlas allows to organize and analyze information on the role of natural and socio-economic factors in the spread of natural focal infections and invasions, display nozoareal and natural foci of disease and infections and infestations, analyze morbidity natural focal diseases in Russia in general and in the model regions. For Atlas, more than 100 original maps are prepared together with essays on the distribution of specific diseases, on their premises, the history of study, etc.
A simulation of woodlice (Arthropoda, Crustacea, Oniscidea) distribution the in North Palearctic using global climate database WorldClim. The basic regularities of distribution due to temperature behavior and other factors are analyzed. The forecast distribution of woodlice in 2070 indicates an expansion of the range of group as a whole to the north and increase of species diversity in poor localities currently.
The fauna and populations of birds of two major mountain regions of Eurasia: the Himalayas and the Verkhoyansk Range are studied. The study involved more than 1,000 km2 of mountainous areas at an altitude of 1600 m above sea level in Verkhoyansk and up to 5000 m asl in the Himalayas. The regularities of spatial and temporal variations of the horizontal and vertical boundaries of the distribution of species in the mountains are revealed.
Future research activities: Geographical regularities of biodiversity and bioindication of the environment, digital mapping of terrestrial ecosystems on the basis of information technologies and remote sensing, medical and geographical analysis of global and regional environmental change.

International relations
The department of biogeography is closely connected with many universities across the world, National parks and research institutes. There are student field courses and field work in Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia. The staff of the department collaborates with the universities of Germany, Norway, Sweden, Great Britain, etc.